


Staking a Claim

by vix_spes



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Secret Relationship, Star Trek Beyond Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 04:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7961758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock has some questions for Leonard on Yorktown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Staking a Claim

**Author's Note:**

> An extended scene from Star Trek Beyond so spoilers ahoy if you haven't seen it yet. Based upon [this picture](https://breakinggeek.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/star-trek-beyond-final-trailer-40-chris-pine-captain-kirk-and-bones-karl-urban.png?w=620). I saw this bit of the film and just knew that I had to write fic for it. Huge thanks to [nursedarry](http://archiveofourown.org/users/NurseDarry/pseuds/NurseDarry) for the beta.

“By the way, where are we going? I thought we were going for a drink?”  
  
Leonard smiled to himself and didn’t respond, instead continuing to lead Jim through Yorktown, knowing that they were close to their destination. Besides, he was taking Jim for a drink, he just hadn’t been specific where. He turned to Jim as they approached the doors of the bar where the crew of the Enterprise had gathered and quirked his lips slightly.  
  
“I know you told me to keep it under wraps but …” Leonard spoke as he ushered Jim through the door to their waiting friends.  
  
“Mr Sensitive, eh?”  
  
Leonard scoffed at Jim’s words; he was never going to escape that title but he’d resigned himself to that now. He accepted the drinks that were handed to him and passed Jim his after a discreet sniff to check that Jim’s was what it should be and hadn’t been tampered with in any way.  
  
“Everybody raise a glass to Captain James T Kirk.”  
  
With the toast over, Leonard watched as Jim got swallowed up in the crowd of well-wishers, sending an apologetic glance over his shoulder. It was strange to be sharing Jim on his birthday but it was for Jim’s benefit so Leonard could allow it for once.  
  
Leonard couldn’t help but feel more than a little relieved that his plan seemed to have worked and that Jim was enjoying himself. He had known that throwing Jim a surprise birthday party was taking one hell of a risk but it was one that his gut had told him to take, so he had. They had spent the last eight years ignoring Jim’s birthday and Leonard had gone with it because it was what Jim wanted but this year was different. Leonard had known that something was going on with Jim, even if he wasn’t talking about it, and had been determined to do something about it, show Jim how much the crew loved him.  
  
Judging by the wide grin on Jim’s face, Leonard had made the right call. Leonard had stuck close to Jim at first, wanting to make sure that he was there to run interference if needed and also because, yet again, Jim had come too close to dying and Leonard himself needed the reassurance that Jim was okay, that he was alive. However, as Jim relaxed and started to enjoy himself, Leonard had taken a step back until he had ended up in his current position propped against the bar with a very good tumbler of bourbon in hand.  
  
Feeling the back of his neck prickle as it did when you were being watched, Leonard turned his head to the left and met Spock’s gaze head on. The First Officer had a familiar expression on his face; the one that Leonard swore blind was something akin to constipation even if he had been told multiple times it was curiosity.  
  
“Were you never told it’s rude to stare?”  
  
“I beg your pardon Doctor, but I confess that I find myself both intrigued and somewhat confused.”  
  
“You, confused? Now I’ve heard everything.”  
  
When no further details were forthcoming from Spock, Leonard rolled his eyes and knocked back an extra-large mouthful of bourbon. “Well, come on then. Cat got your tongue?”  
  
“As there are no felines on Yorktown to my knowledge Doctor, I fail to see how one can have my tongue.”  
  
“It’s a saying, Spock. Now, why are you confused? Although, if it’s relationship advice you’re after, I’m telling you to stop talking right now and wait for Jim.”  
  
“How strange Doctor; you were perfectly willing to offer unsolicited advice about the relationship between Nyota and myself earlier. But no, the confusion is in regards to yourself and the Captain.”  
  
“Me and Jim? What’s so confusing about us?”  
  
“I was unaware that yourself and the Captain had moved your relationship beyond the realms of friendship and that of Captain/CMO and into something of a more romantic nature. I also hadn’t expected you to take this route of announcing your relationship; I had expected something … less subtle from Jim.”  
  
“Spock, what the hell are you talking about?”  
  
“I apologise if I have misread the situation Leonard, are you and Jim not in a relationship?”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes, threw back the rest of his bourbon and signalled for another. He had imbibed nowhere near enough alcohol to be having this conversation with Spock. He also hoped that Jim wouldn’t be pissed at him for having this conversation with Spock without him.  
  
“We are in a relationship yes, but it’s not exactly common knowledge; the only person who knew was Pike. It wasn’t that we wanted to keep it secret but the rules about relationships between captains and officers are somewhat … hazy. Not that us being together would stop us doing our jobs – it hasn’t so far – but ‘Fleet can never seem to decide whether Jim is their golden boy or the bane of their lives so we thought it best to not give them any extra ammunition. It’s not ideal but it is what it is.”  
  
“But to go to the lengths of keeping it hidden that you have done so…”  
  
“Spock, we’ve been together for the best part of eight years which is almost as long as I was married to my ex-wife and I didn’t follow her into space in a tin-can if you get what I’m sayin’.”  
  
“Interesting.”  
  
“Look Spock, let’s cut to the chase. You didn’t come over here to gossip idly, what did you really want to talk about?”  
  
“When we were aboard the Franklin looking for a solution to get the crew back, you expressed your incredulity over my gifting a piece of Vulcaya jewellery to Nyota and likened it to a tracking device.”  
  
“Because it is a tracking device. Just because it’s pretty doesn’t change that fact. Nor does it change the fact that it’s radioactive. But none of this is making sense. What has you giving Uhura jewellery got to do with me and Jim?”  
  
“I suppose that my act of giving Nyota the type of jewellery that I did can be seen as myself making a proprietal claim upon her, albeit in an acceptable form in the eyes of society. Have you not done the same with your sartorial choices for yourself and the Captain this evening?”  
  
“Our sartorial choices?” Leonard almost choked on his drink, feeling the weight of Jim’s gaze on him from across the room where he was deep in conversation with Scotty and Jaylah although he stayed when Leonard shook his head discreetly.  
  
“The way that you and Jim are dressed can hardly have escaped your notice, Leonard. Your choice of matching clothing, to my mind, appears to clearly announce a deeper relationship than friendship between yourself and Jim. If I were to borrow a more primal turn of phrase, staking a claim if you will.”  
  
“I haven’t heard anything this ridiculous come out of your mouth since you suggested that I fly an alien spaceship. You think I’m staking a claim on Jim simply because we turn up in matching t-shirts and leather jackets?”  
  
“In that case, please forgive me Leonard if I have made you uncomfortable with my suggestion.”  
  
“Spock, it’s fine. Just … stop talking and we’ll forget all about it.”

  
~*~

  
It wasn’t until much later that evening, when Jim and Leonard were lying in bed in their temporary quarters upon Yorktown that Jim’s insatiable curiosity finally won out. He was still sprawled over Leonard’s chest like a limp rag, fingers absentmindedly toying with Leonard’s necklace and didn’t bother to move as he asked his question.  
  
“So what were you and Spock talking about at my party? You looked as though you were about to choke one point.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes and huffed as he tightened his arms around Jim, trying to avoid answering the question but all he succeeded in doing was making Jim more curious. Instead of remaining quiescent, Jim squirmed against Leonard’s arms until he released the pressure and Jim was able to change positions, remaining sprawled across Leonard’s chest but now with his chin propped on Leonard’s collarbone.  
  
“Seriously Bones, you look like you’ve swallowed a lemon. What did Spock say to you?”  
  
When Leonard failed to reply, simply muttering several unsavoury comments about Spock under his breath, Jim poked him in the ribs making him squirm however much he tried to resist.  
  
“Booooones! Stop grumbling and just tell me. I’ll poke you until you do and you know it.”  
  
“You’re an infant. How Starfleet keep giving a giant man-child their flagship never ceases to amaze me.”  
  
“Boooooones!”  
  
“Oh fine. Spock was expressing his surprise that we had taken such a subtle way of announcing our relationship and tried to draw parallels between him giving Uhura radioactive jewellery and the two of us wearing similar outfits.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“Spock thought that, by us turning up in similar outfits, I was staking a claim on you or something equally ridiculous.”  
  
“Staking a claim on me?”  
  
Jim could barely get the words out he was already laughing so hard but Leonard didn’t begrudge him that. After everything they’d been through, a bit of laughter was good for them all, especially Jim. Besides, bruises aside, Jim already looked a hundred times better after both the party and this little bit of information, lighter somehow. Leonard couldn’t help the smile that graced his lips only for it to fade as Jim’s laughter tailed off and he looked at Leonard with a slight leer on his face. A leer that Leonard knew all too well.  
  
“Jim?”  
  
“Just for the record Bones, you can stake your claim on me whenever you want, in any way you want. No objections here.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/252776.html)


End file.
